Looking for Android Auto help

[herdbull]

Any Android Auto experts out there? Now that I have it with my 8.4" upgrade this thing is driving me nuts (sigh). AA is going to drive me to AA

.

For starters no matter what I do I can not stop it from connecting to my phone via BT. I've unpaired, forgot device and forced stopped it dozens of times but yet it still connects via BT when I plug in with the cable. I can sit and turn my BT off over and over and over and it keeps connecting.

I also can't get it (AA) to access my music file library, i.e. data transfer. It wants to continue to use BT even if I'm plugged in and accessing my music player on my phone thru the USB.
I'm ready to just tap out of the app every time I get in the truck while being plugged in and use it like before, play my music through the media button. It will browse my library and play just fine this way but I have no access to AA. If I need google maps I'll just unplug and plug back in and deal with all the other **** at that time.

I swore AA would access my music files?

 

[Linked4door]

What version of android OS and Also what version of AA is on your cell? Running an older phone (or software) can cause some strange things to happen. Also some phones have know issues with AA.

And i assume you have uconnect5 with wireless AA capabilities or is it uconnect4 that requires a USB cable?


To my knowledge, even the older Android auto that requires a cable, still needed bluetooth for AA. Our of curiosity, may I ask why you don't want bluetooth on?

If you have wireless AA like I do, I have found out if I turn off wifi on my cell and then turn off Bluetooth. That way it won't auto turn on, even if the auto enable bluetooth option is enabled. Alternatively there are settings in the app on your phone and also in the truck that auto enables Bluetooth. Make sure both are off if you don't want Bluetooth enabled.

When you say the media button, are you talking about on your phone or headunit? Is this making you exit out of AA?

What app are you using to open the media files, or are you just trying to open the media files directly from where ever they are saved on your cell?

I have found VLC media player is a great app to play media files through (AA, Linux, windows, and Android cell phones). If you are not already doing so, using an app like this might be the easiest solution for playing local media.

 

[elephantrider]

bt is for your legacy phone services. aa will be for your google maps, waze, spotify, etc.. are you using the android auto app?

 

[herdbull]

I am using the AA ap, it came on my phone which is currently version 11. The radio is out of a 2021 and it is UC 4. I actually prefer the cable to keep the phone charged while in the truck.

I was under the impression that everything would function through the cable. BT has limited capabilities when searching my music library and limited options. When using my phone on other versions with the cable it just treats it as a media device and I have complete control of searching, locating, and other functions with the cable. It really appears that AA uses the cable to access your phones display but when actually using the functionality it is using BT. When I try to play music through AA and hit the browse button, which is grayed out, it says function not available through AA.

No matter what I do the truck wants to access my phone via BT. It doesn't stop. Which it seems when using the USB input it 100% still needs BT. If there's an option in some settings someplace that overrides the BT I haven't found it. I've even unpaired the phone and "forgot" the device on my phone only to have it all turn back on once I plugged in. Which leads me to believe that once you plug in it automatically overrides any other settings and starts BT.

If I tap out of or exit the AA driving app it will turn off. Then I can use the media button on the headunit. This allows complete functionality and control of my music files on my phone and will play them. This is by far the most user friendly option, IMO. But I then have no AA unless I unplug the phone and plug it back in to activate AA. But then I lose the functionality of the media button on the headunit.

If AA is disconnected the media button (headunit) will search my entire library and play files. It is by far the easiest to use. I do have a music player app on my phone. AA will access that app and I can use that app to play music but the interface is somewhat cumbersome and again, it's accessing through BT. I thought the whole point of the USB plug in was to actually use it? This is probably the best solution. It may take a folder/file renaming structure of my music library to be a bit more user friendly. Currently there's only 404 or like 600 hours of music files on my phone, so that should only take like 14 years to do, lol.

In the end I think I succumbed to the BT or at least for now may just let it do whatever it wants to try to adapt to it. Thanks for the help so far guys.

 

[elephantrider]

I think there is a setting that tells the cable what to see. it sounds like it may be set toedia drive vs. the other option.

when I use the cable, as soon as I plug it in, aa fires right up. I'll nose through the setting at lunch.

 

[herdbull]

I think there is a setting that tells the cable what to see. it sounds like it may be set toedia drive vs. the other option.

when I use the cable, as soon as I plug it in, aa fires right up. I'll nose through the setting at lunch.

It won't allow me to change the setting to "file transfer". It says its not available for this device. It's not the cable as it's the same cable I use while transferring data/files to and from my pc..

when I plug in it does start AA automatically.

 

[elephantrider]

man... interesting. maybe try another cable..?

 

[herdbull]

man... interesting. maybe try another cable..?

tried 2 already, both which work with my PC. Even tried the other halfs '19 Jeep Cherokee with AA, same result.

 

[Linked4door]

I am using the AA ap, it came on my phone which is currently version 11. The radio is out of a 2021 and it is UC 4. I actually prefer the cable to keep the phone charged while in the truck.

I was under the impression that everything would function through the cable. BT has limited capabilities when searching my music library and limited options. When using my phone on other versions with the cable it just treats it as a media device and I have complete control of searching, locating, and other functions with the cable. It really appears that AA uses the cable to access your phones display but when actually using the functionality it is using BT. When I try to play music through AA and hit the browse button, which is grayed out, it says function not available through AA.

No matter what I do the truck wants to access my phone via BT. It doesn't stop. Which it seems when using the USB input it 100% still needs BT. If there's an option in some settings someplace that overrides the BT I haven't found it. I've even unpaired the phone and "forgot" the device on my phone only to have it all turn back on once I plugged in. Which leads me to believe that once you plug in it automatically overrides any other settings and starts BT.

If I tap out of or exit the AA driving app it will turn off. Then I can use the media button on the headunit. This allows complete functionality and control of my music files on my phone and will play them. This is by far the most user friendly option, IMO. But I then have no AA unless I unplug the phone and plug it back in to activate AA. But then I lose the functionality of the media button on the headunit.

If AA is disconnected the media button (headunit) will search my entire library and play files. It is by far the easiest to use. I do have a music player app on my phone. AA will access that app and I can use that app to play music but the interface is somewhat cumbersome and again, it's accessing through BT. I thought the whole point of the USB plug in was to actually use it? This is probably the best solution. It may take a folder/file renaming structure of my music library to be a bit more user friendly. Currently there's only 404 or like 600 hours of music files on my phone, so that should only take like 14 years to do, lol.

In the end I think I succumbed to the BT or at least for now may just let it do whatever it wants to try to adapt to it. Thanks for the help so far guys.

Are you refering to this media button in the first pic? That is completely seperate from AA and to my knowledge has to be used separately. Meaning either that or AA not both since it changes how the usb port is used. The absolute simplest way around this would be to use VLC (app in second pic). This will allow you to use AA for maps and easily browse local media on your phone via folders if the meta data isn't properly set up. I don't think bluetooth is the issue, I think its the fact you are trying to use the USB for file access via the media button for and then AA which uses a combo of USB and bluetooth. The apps are conflicting. If you were to use the file transfer option for USB, AA would not work.

 

[herdbull]

You pretty much explained it correctly. I wasn't aware that AA still used the BT function to do most of the functionality even though it's using the USB cable. I have a third party music app that will work with AA. Problem is some of the interface when used with AA is wonky. The interface with the media button in the headunit works wonderfully and is much easier to use and navigate my files with. The third party music app and AA not so much. So I was hoping for the best of both worlds and be able to still use the media button for tunes and have AA (i.e. maps or something) running with AA. Guess I expected too much, lol. In the end BT wasn't the issue, I just wasn't aware AA needed it to function. Hence the reason it kept turning it on over and over and over. It was somewhat comical when I was trying to get it to stop. Thanks a bunch, you have helped and educated me a bunch!